Service panel for desks



. LOE

w L FO ET AL R DES 3 Sept 19, 1961 E. C. LOEW ET AL 3,000,682

SERVICE PANEL FOR DESKS Filed Ook. 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSEA c. LoEw R. H. wlLMER Sept. 19, 1961 E. c. Lol-:w ET AL SERVICE PANELFOR DESKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 20, 1959 3,000,682 SERVICE PANELFOR DESKS Edgar C. Loew and Rudolph H. Wilmer, Youngstown, Ohio,assignors to The General Fireproong Company, Youngstown, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 847,515 2 Claims. (CI.312-194) This invention relates to desks, more particularly, desks ofthe type used as oce furniture and equipment.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction whichfacilitates the installation of a telephone on the top of the desk.Office buildings, as now generally constructed, run the telephoneconduits through the floor and have outlets adjacent desk positions.Under these circumstances, it is desirable to provide the desk withmeans for quickly and conveniently installing the telephone and itscord, and at the same time establishing communication between the deskinstrument and the service line with a minimum expenditure of time andlabor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whereinan end panel of the desk, that is, the panel or wall near the pedestal,is readily removable to provide free access to a terminal block whetherit be mounted on the outer side or bottom of the pedestal.

With these and other objects in view, which will more readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consistsin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary front elevation of one end of a deskillustrating the application of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the desk-end shown in FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the pedestalframe at the end of the desk intended to detachably receive thedemountable panel.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a modified formof bottom latch.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view wherein the top member of theleg assembly is formed from a rolled section which mates with a rib onthe end panel.

FIGURE 6 is a further fragmentary perspective viewshowing that therolled channel type top section ofthe leg assembly may be used inconnection with an extruded tongue.

FIGURE 7 is a detail sectional view showing the terminal block mountedbetween the outer Wall of the pedestal and the detachable end panel.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several gures of the drawing.

As will be observed from FIGURE 1, the desk pedestal includes a portion1 of the desk top, the usual drawers 2 iiting in appropriatecompartments at one side of a knee space opening 3. The drawer space istherefore enclosed on all sides by the underside of the top, the wallforming one side of the knee space opening 3, a bottom dust guard 4, andan inner pedestal side wall 5 covered by a removable end panel Esuitably spaced from the wall 5 to provide approximately a one-inchwiring space.

The end panel E is mounted in the leg assembly or framework of thepedestal. This framework includes a top horizontal rail 6, and oppositeside members 7, 7 forming the legs of the desk. At the lower portion ofthe leg assembly 6-7 there is provided a rigid cross-piece 8 whose webmay abut against the side wall 5 of the pedestal and whose opposite endsare secured in any appropriate manner to facing portions of the legs 7.

States Patent O Patented Sept. 19, 1961 ICC The top rail 6 may beprovided with suitable means for releasably holding the upper edge ofthe panel. For example, a recess in the form of socket elements 6adrilled, or otherwise formed in the rail.

The cross-piece 8 preferably consists of an angle having a web 9 formedwith an upper ange 10 and a bottom flange 11. In addition, the outerface of the web 10 preferably has one arm 12 of an angle spot-Welded orotherwise secured thereto. The other arm 13 is curved downwardly as at14 to provide a ramp over which the lower edge of the panel 5 may beeasily guided. VThe arm 13 isl provided at any suitable location, orlocations, with a keeper element 15 which may be in the form of a springlatch accessible thro-ugh a slot in the ange, a conventional springpressed plunger, or even a screw or equivalent fastener.

The end panel E has its outer side Wall 16 provided at its top andbottom edges with inturned flanges 17 and 18 respectively, as well asthe opposite side llanges 19. The bottom flange 18 has a keeper 20 forengagement withthe latch 15 and isalso formed with a cut-away portion orslot 21 for receiving the cord or cable C for the telephone.

Substantially vertically in line with the slot 21, the upper edgeportion of the panel wall 16 is provided with an opening or eyelet 22through which the cord C is exposed at the location Where the telephoneinstrument is to be used on the desk top.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top ange 17 of the end panel E is provided withsuitable tongues 17a, or the like, for fitting into the socket elements6a. In other words, after the latch 15 and the keepers 20 have beendisengaged by pulling out the lower end of the panel, the tongue 17 willclear the recess 6a and permit the entire panel to be swung downwardlyand outwardly, and thus expose the crosspiece 12 as well as the spacebetween the pedestal wall 5 and the panel.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the bottom of the pedestal is' providedwith guides 25 and 26 for receiving a suitable terminal block B.Alternatively, as shown in FIGURE 7, the block B may be slidablyinserted in a frame or retainer 26a secured to the flange 10 of thecross member 8 thereby placing the block B' between the pedestal wall 5and the detachable panel E.

Regardless of where the block B or B is positioned, it will beunderstood that the end panel E may be readily and quickly detached andreplaced by simply removing the tongues or dowels 17a from the recesses6a, and freeing the ange 18 from the latch 15.

One of the features of the invention is that the removable end panel Eomits the necessity of making connections at the time of installing thedesk. In other words, the entire arrangement is intended to eliminatethe need for any iield connections. The door outlet C', and either ofthe terminal blocks and their respective wires C, and the telephone setwill all be connected by telephone installation men before the desk isin the office. When the desk is placed in its proper location for use,the removable panel E will be snapped-out of position, the telephone setplaced on top of the desk; the cord C placed in position; and theremovable panel will be snapped back into the pedestal.

As will be seen from FIGURE 4, the latch at the bottom of the end panelmay take the form of a spring pressed plunger 25 which is intended tofit into a socket 26 formed on the bottom wall 18*ab of the panel.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a further modification of the end panel E whereinthe upper edge thereof is formed with a rib 2.7 which fits into the slot28 of the rolled top member 0 29 of the leg assembly.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the top flange 30 of the end panel E as having apunched out tongue 31 which would tit in the open channel 32 of therolled top member 33 of the leg assembly.

According to all forms of the invention, it will now be seen that in allcases the end panel is quickly detachable by releasing a latch or screwconnecting thev bottom portion thereof with the cross-piece 8 and thenmoving the panel outwardly and downwardly through a slight angle torelease the top portion thereof from engagement with the top rail of theleg assembly. The arrangement shown therefore provides a quicklyreleasable end panel which has no Xed hinge connection with any part ofthe pedestal or other part of the desk.

We claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a side panel unit fortning the outerwall of metal desk pedestals, comprising, a horizontal top rail, legsdepending from the ends of the top rail, a cross-piece connecting thelegs, an internal wall disposed within the area between said top rail,and the legs above the cross-piece, an outer side wall provided withwire passage openings and having inturned top, side, and bottom flanges,said outer side wall coextensive with the area between the inner sidesof the top rail and legs whereby, the said ilanges telescopically ttherein, and cooperating keeper and latch means respectively on the railand top flange and the cross-piece and bottom flange to releasably holdthe outer side Wall in place.

2. As an article of manufacture, a panel unit forming the outer Wall ofmetal desk pedestals, comprising a horizontal top rail, legs dependingfrom the ends of the top rail, a cross-piece of angular cross sectionproviding an inwardly disposed flange and having end portions connectedwith the legs, an internal wall disposed within the area between saidtop rail, the legs and above the flange of the cross-piece, an outerside wall provided with a Wire passage opening adjacent its top portionand having inturned top, side and bottom flanges, the latter having awire passage opening, said outer wall being coextensive with the areabetween the inner sidesof the top rail and legs, whereby the saidflanges telescopically fit therein, and cooperating keeper and latchmeans respectively on said rail and top ange and the cross-piece andbottom flange to releasably hold the outer side wall in place.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,905,402 Sink Apr. 25, 1933 1,980,945 Smith Nov. 13, 1934 2,014,329Hellman Sept. 10, 1935 2,200,297 Roberts May 14, 1940 2,498,554 KleinFeb. 21, 1950 2,853,351 Bassett Sept. 23, 1958

